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Diamonds are most commonly found in white and variations of white, which make stones colored lime green and bright orange highly coveted collectibles. Jewelry designer Christian Tse seeks out these especially unique varieties of colored diamonds for his burgeoning clientele, which doesn’t just include diamond lovers. “The price of natural-colored diamonds has skyrocketed in the past several years, and I have a few hedge-fund clients who are investing in stones,” says the Pasadena, California-based jeweler.

His latest discovery is a vivid yellow-orange three-carat heart-shape diamond that he purchased from a small Brazilian miner. “It’s my favorite color diamond since it’s vibrant and lively,” says Tse. He created a ring by setting the unusual stone in pavé pink and orange diamonds, but he has yet to set a price for it. Tse started collecting colored diamonds six years ago, and his collection presently numbers about 125 jewelry pieces plus about 50 unmounted stones. He buys from a small cadre of Indian and Brazilian dealers in addition to attending auctions and trade events. Among his most exceptional stones are six greenish-yellow diamonds that appear lime green or what he calls “Mountain Dew,” referring to bright-green soda. Tse’s treasures include a three-carat vivid yellowish-green diamond ring set with fancy pink diamonds for $200,000, of which he says, “This ring is for the woman who already has the big white diamond, but wants something different and rare.” (626.577.9288, www.christiantse.com)